Hard to Fight Read online

  “Wake up, beautiful. Time to take a walk through your city.” Dret was crouching next to her bed with the mug balanced on his fingers.

  She sat up, clawed the hair out of her eyes and grabbed the cup with both hands. She slugged down the caf and got to her feet, staggering to her lav and taking a quick shower as well as her other morning routines.

  The solar shower was efficient, but it meant she didn’t need a wrap in the lav. She opened the door and exhaled in relief as she tiptoed out to get some clothing.

  She was dressed below the waist and pulling on her shirt when she heard, “You had wings.”

  Brenn turned her head to Dret as she smoothed her shirt over her waist. “If you say so. No one has ever mentioned anything other than the scars. I always assumed they were vestigial.”

  “I have seen those scars before. That was an amputation. Someone removed your wings.” There was fury in his tone, but it was carefully leashed.

  “The only person who would have been able to do it was my father. No one else could have authorized a desecration of the imperial princess.” She wrapped her hair up expertly and turned to him with a smile.

  “How can you be so casual about finding out about this?”

  She shrugged and patted his shoulder as she passed. “It isn’t the worst thing he ever did to me.”

  “But, you can’t fly.”

  She nodded as she headed to the galley. “You would think that that would be the case.”

  “You can fly?”

  She rocked her hand back and forth. “More or less. I get tired quickly. I have never been allowed to really take my brain out for a spin, so I am lacking the strength for extended flight.”

  “You have an entire empty world at your disposal, and you haven’t even tried to fly?” His astonishment knew no bounds.

  She dialled up a breakfast tray. “I have been busy.”

  The light outside was still dark, so she had time to eat.

  “I do not understand you.”

  She chuckled. “Isn’t that what men have been saying about women since time began?”

  “Yes, but you have been through so much with your father and you don’t burn for revenge. I don’t understand it.” Dret took one of her hands.

  “When you are trapped by someone stronger, crueller and completely insane, you go quiet. You wait. When the time is right, you get stronger, and from there, you can run. My mother was weak when she tried to run, and my comments gave him an excuse to kill Kimila. When I make my move, I will be facing him in a battle to the death, so I have to be ready.”

  Understanding seemed to dawn. “You are going to work at getting stronger.”

  “The Citadel is a teaching facility, is it not? I intend to use every outlet they can offer me to prepare for my return home.”

  “In that case, finish your meal and let’s fly over to the city to watch the sunrise from the top of the tower.”

  She shovelled her breakfast into her mouth and chewed while sending the dish through the recycler. When she finished her second cup of caf, she smiled brightly.

  “I haven’t flown in over a decade. Well, not without a ship.” She felt a tingle of anticipation. “I suppose it is about time.”

  He grinned and pulled her out of the ship with a gentle grip on her fingers. “I am ready if you are. If you need me, I will catch you.”

  She could feel her heart swell and shatter into a thousand glittering shards at that offer. Instead of showing him the tears on her cheeks, she took off, wobbled and straightened as she flew toward the city.

  She could see the silhouette against the lightening sky, and she managed to land on the roof of the Citadel before the sun peeped over the edge of the hills.

  Dret landed next to her and put his arm around her shoulder as they watched the light touch the city for the first time.

  She was glad he was with her. She got to see the light paint her creation with someone she considered a friend. That brought her number of friends up to a count of one.

  Chapter Six

  The city was everything she had hoped for. The solar panels caught the rays, and slowly, power began to come online.

  She showed Dret the communications array, the lecture halls and the empty horticultural centre. Everywhere she went, her drawings had come to life, and they had become something wonderful.

  “When do the first folks show up? This is a city designed for inhabitants.” She rubbed her hands together.

  “The first crew will be here within days, but right now, Drathom wishes to speak with you.”

  “How is that going to happen?”

  She turned her head toward Dret, and he gestured to a column of smoke rising from a fountain.

  The column crept toward her, defying the wind that pressed it back.

  It stopped directly in front of her, and she extended her hand to it. The moment the mist wrapped around her fingers, she felt the immense weight pressing on her mind.

  Brennika Michkin, daughter of the mad Drai, you are welcome on my soil.

  Thank you, Drathom. I am glad I am able to visit.

  Brennika, I would offer you more.

  Interesting, but please explain.

  I have been seeking a compatible mind, and I have found it in you. I am offering you a new home as long as you have a place for me in your mind.

  I beg your pardon?

  I would like you to become my Avatar. You would be my voice and communicate with the new arrivals. My world would be under your control, and we would discuss new arrivals and inviting certain species here to expand and populate my skin.

  You want to take over my body?

  Not take it over, share it. Your mind would be your own, but I would be able to speak with others without damaging them.

  How are you able to speak to me?

  As I mentioned, you are a compatible Avatar. In the past, I have forced the bonding, but I have been told that it is better to ask. A willing host is a much better communicator, and those around it respect it for its sacrifice.

  Do I have to make the decision now?

  No, you may have as much time as you like. If you choose to be my Avatar, simply come to this fountain and call me.

  She jerked back as Dharthom released her.

  Dret caught her and held her against him. “Are you all right?”

  The column of mist retracted into the fountain.

  Brenn looked up at her companion. “I am fine. Did you know about what he would ask?”

  “I did. I knew and tried not to influence you in any way.”

  She chuckled weakly. “You did a good job of that.”

  Brenn rubbed her hands together and smiled. “Well, it is something to think about.”

  “So, you would consider it?”

  “Of course. It is definitely one way to both power and freedom.”

  “You crave power?”

  She smirked, “Only as a means to make myself and those around me safe.”

  A look of relief came into his gaze. “Ah. That is comforting.”

  “I do not share my father’s craving for power and immortality. I want to live a life and be surrounded by love and trust. Until this moment, I had considered it a little girl’s hope and kept it in the rear of my mind.”

  “Now that you are seeing the possibilities?” He smiled.

  “I have been given something to think about.” Brenn chuckled. “And being here, I have time to do it.”

  “That you do. Now, what else have you built into this wonderland?” He offered her his arm.

  She slid her hand along his skin like she had seen so many courtiers do with their partners. He extended his wing across her back, and she walked with him, protected and wanted.

  They continued their tour, and her mind reeled with possibilities the entire time. The possibility of Drathom, the possibility of Dret and the possibility of not returning home. This could be her new home; she just had to open her mind to a strange entity that controlled a planet. Oddly eno
ugh, she wasn’t frightened by the possibility.

  “How tired are you? Can you fly some more?”

  She blinked at him in surprise. “I believe so. Where are we going?”

  Dret smiled. “Follow me.”

  He released her arm and took to the skies.

  Brenn watched him fly from the city, and she propelled herself after him. It was awkward at first, but she soon paced him as he flew across the plain and toward the low hills.

  She was nearing the end of her energy when they crested a hill and she saw the lake that he had referred to. It was wide, blue and looked bottomless.

  She wobbled to the edge and looked down as she settled on the stone. Dret landed nearby. It was ten feet to the water, but there was no visible bottom.

  “If you want to take a proper swim, you are more than welcome to do so.”

  The flight had caused her to be a little sweaty. With a bright smile, she removed her clothing and jumped into the water before she could change her mind.

  The cold sucked the air out of her lungs, but she swam to the surface and sucked in the warm life-giving oxygen the moment she broke free of the water.

  Dret laughed and looked down at her from the stony ridge. “How are you enjoying it?”

  She glared up at him. “It is a little brisk but otherwise amazing.”

  With that said, she turned and dived, looking through the crystal-clear water.

  She swam, turned and finally looked down into the depths.

  A stray beam of light bolted through the water and continued down into the darkness. The light briefly illuminated something down below, and the designer in Brenn knew what she was looking at.

  Dharthom had drowned his cities. He had pulled them under and flooded them. It was an efficient way to cleanse the surface.

  When her lungs ached, she returned to the surface to see Dret treading water nearby. His wings were folded against his back, and he swam over to her.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  She slowly moved her limbs through the water. “I am. Why did Dharthom sink his cities?”

  “He only sank this one. The others were near lava flows.”

  “What did they do?”

  “Well, since he could not communicate with them, he could not tell them what he wanted and what he needed them to be, so he began a series of natural disasters that shook them off and made them flee. He destroyed their cities and worked to blank his environment for a good occupant.”

  “Dharthom is a realtor?”

  Dret dipped in the water as he chortled. When he managed to regain his composure, he grinned. “Not quite. When I arrived, I was allowed to remain under the surface as long as I assisted him in his plans to get an Avatar first and occupants second.”

  “So, you could be his Avatar?”

  “No. We can speak, but his mind and mine do not remain connected. He cannot speak through me. He requires a physical representative.”

  “What do you think of him?”

  “He is eager to follow in the path of other planets who have hosted a Citadel or the Sector Guard. He wants to do great things and to help the others do great things.”

  “Do you think I should become his Avatar?”

  “I can only speak from my personal preferences and that is not fair to you. You will be the host and changing your life.”

  She cocked her head. “What are your preferences?”

  “I want you here with me. I believe you are my mate, and I would like to spend the rest of my days with you.”

  “But you will not insist on my becoming the Avatar and remaining here.”

  “No. As much as it pains me, your life is your own. You have had enough forced on you in your life. I can wait.”

  Brenn nodded and dived back into the depths, looking and exploring the bits of the lake that were visible in the shards of sunlight.

  When her limbs were heavy, she swam back to the surface and used her talent to haul her out of the water to sit on the stone. It was her last bit of strength, and she lay on the warm rock breathing heavily and drying off.

  Dret came out of the water and flicked his wings to rid them of the majority of trailing water. He put his wrap on, and now, it was she that was the only inappropriately nude one.

  She sighed. “I would try and put my leggings on, but they are not going on over wet skin.”

  “Do not rush to clothe yourself on my account. I find the view lovely. Is your hair metallic gold?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “And platinum. It can even be used as currency if I need to. My father considered it a sign. I was born with a crown.”

  “So, that is why you cover it.”

  “It is a habit. It grows rather quickly, so I have used trimmings to support communities and buy farming equipment for my mother’s people. They were always farmers, but after their town was destroyed, they were scrambling for means to support themselves. When I was fifteen, I started to trim my hair and send them the clippings as financial support.”

  “How are they now?”

  “They have been absorbed into other communities. All of the survivors are doing well.”

  He nodded. “Good.”

  She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. Her front was dry; it was time to warm her back. She shifted to a dry spot and waited for the rest of the water to leave her skin.

  Her shifting had brought her closer to him, and she didn’t mind a bit. He looked vaguely uncomfortable as he tried to keep his gaze on her face. It was cute.

  When her body was mostly dry, she got to her feet and pulled on her leggings and shoes before Dret stood up and touched her back. “I still can’t believe he did this to you.”

  “I can’t believe you have seen it before.”

  “Not all wounds can be healed. Amputations took place occasionally while on the battlefield. Our wings can be repaired if we are close to a medical centre, but if you are away from home, it was the only way to save a life.”

  “I do not believe that my life was at stake.” She shivered as his fingers caressed the scars.

  “No, I don’t think it was either.” He touched her one last time and then asked a question that had obviously been haunting him. “Why do you put your lower clothing on first?”

  “Oh, if you have to run, wearing pants is a good idea. I can always drop my hair to cover my breasts. It doesn’t go much further than that.” She smirked. “Always pants first unless I need to wear a dress.”

  She pulled her shirt on, but her skin still tingled as if he was touching it.

  “I suppose that it is time to return to the shuttle. Dret, would you give me a lift? I don’t have enough energy left to fly myself there.”

  “Of course. You only ever need to mention it.” He lifted her in his arms, and he flexed his wings, pushing off the stone with a shove from his legs before the scooping motion hauled them out of the lake basin.

  Her hair was still damp so she cuddled up against Dret as he flew. He didn’t object to the cool feel of her head on his shoulder and carried her back to her temporary home. She had to send in her abbreviated report to her father’s advisor, and she was going to skip the part about the city already existing. That was a tidbit she was going to keep to herself for a while.

  Chapter Seven

  Brenn couldn’t sleep. She sat up and listened to the music in her mind, but it wasn’t enough to make her sleep. She knew what she wanted to do, but was she actually willing to act on her own wants?

  She slipped out of bed and went to her wardrobe, pulling out a long gown in the same platinum and gold as her hair. It was a simple sheath and more than suitable for her purposes.

  Brenn crept out of the shuttle on bare feet and flew to the city, landing in front of the fountain.

  “Dharthom, I would like to speak with you.”

  In the dimness, she could not see the dark coils, but the glow that they were giving off let her know that they were approaching.

  The mist formed a figure that f
aced her. It was her. The voice was still in her mind, but the mouth moved along with it. “Brennika, you have come to a decision?”

  “I have. I need a few conditions agreed to before you join with me.”

  “Name them.”

  “I wish to remain here without returning to my father’s palace. If he wants to discuss this, he will have to come here.”

  “Accepted.”

  “I would like a home of my own near the basin.”

  “Accepted.” There was amusement in the tone but no explanation was offered.

  “Finally, you will let me know when you tire of me as your representative so that I may prepare my estates and organize everything.”

  “You will be warned when our time together grows near. I have never had an Avatar before, so I am not likely to want to rush the experience.”

  Brenn nodded and hoped her blush didn’t show. “On the matter of experience... If I take Dret as my mate, I wish for you to make yourself invisible to my thoughts. I want at least the illusion that I am alone when I am intimate with my mate.”

  “I will watch from the shadows and not make myself known. I do so swear it.”

  Dharthom was serious, and it was the last objection that Brenn had had.

  “In that case, Dharthom, living mind of this world, I welcome you in and share the body that is mine.”

  The rush of power showed that the world was not waiting.

  Brenn felt her feet leave the ground, and she was carried upward as energies buffeted her from all sides, trying to see how much power she could take.

  She held on and waited until the whirl of power settled in her mind and twisted slowly inside her. From that whirl, a kernel of a mind unfolded and set up shop in her consciousness.

  Your mind is beautifully constructed, Brennika.

  Thank you, Dharthom. You have been most polite in your occupation.

  To hurt you at this phase is to injure myself. Oh, look. Dret has risen.

  Brenn looked over to where the huge beast was slowly approaching with wide strokes of his wings.

  She heard Dharthom greet Dret and ask him if he would like to accompany them on their flight.